Do Cigarettes Control Your Life?
Are You Ready to Stop Smoking And Quit The Nicotine Habit For Good?

In this article, I have two stop smoking strategies to share with you. If you really want to quit smoking then I am pleased you found this site. I don't have a product, course or book to sell you - only some free advice that I hope you find useful.

Using the first strategy I was able to stop my 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes a day habit in just a few weeks. This lasted for 4 1/2 years and then I started again. How stupid was that?

The second strategy (actually more of a revelation) allowed me to go from a three pack a day habit to zero cigarettes immediately ("cold turkey")! That was over 20 years ago and I have never smoked a cigarette since - nor had the urge to smoke again.

Eight Good Reasons to Quit Smoking

You are probably familiar with the obvious reasons why it is a good idea to stop smoking: your health; the expense; laws being passed to restrict smoking; exposing others to second-hand smoke. These are all good reasons to quit but only if you are committed. Someone else can't want this for you. It has to be your idea and follow-thru if you are to succeed.

Do you know what good things happen to your body after you quit smoking?

• Your heart rate drops 20 minutes after quitting
  
• The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal 12 hours after quitting
  
• Your lung function begins to improve and your risk of heart attack begins to drop in just a few weeks to a few months after quitting
  
• Your shortness of breath and coughing decrease in 1-9 months after quitting
  
• Your added risk for coronary heart disease is 1/2 that of a smoker after 1 year
  
• Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker after five to 15 years
  
• Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases 10 years after you quit. Also your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smokers after 10 years.
  
• Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker after 15 years of quitting.

Source: US Department of Health & Human Services

Are You Ready To Get Started? Great!

Strategy #1 For Quitting Smoking

If you don't feel you are up to quit smoking "cold turkey" then consider this 7-10 day strategy. It worked for me once and if I hadn't decided to try a cigarette just for the fun of it (after 4 1/2 years) it would have accomplished the mission just fine.

Develop A Stop Smoking Plan!

You must have a "stop smoking plan" or your odds of kicking the habit are remote. It can be very tough to quit an addictive habit that you may have had for many years. A little planning goes a long way. Here is what you need to do...

On Day 1 you want to begin replacing some of the cigarettes you smoke with products or actions as described below. At the end of the 7-10 day "course", you should have completed 100% substitution and smoking will be just a memory.

• Without Medications - It is healthier for you if you can avoid medications to quit smoking. I found eating oranges to be helpful, no desire for a smoke after that. Bananas are good too (they contain B6 and B12 as well as potassium and magnesium - reported to help the body recover from nicotine withdrawal). LifeSavers, other mints or gum are helpful also. And taking several deep breaths can give you close to the same sensation as smoking. 
• 
  
• With Medications - there are more medications in your battle to quit smoking than when I went thru this process. Nicotine patches, gums, lozenges, inhalers and sprays. Products such as Nicocure, CigArrest, Zero Nicotine, NicRX, Cig-Arette, Nicorette, Zyban and others all came out after I had already quit. One of the latest entries is the e-cigarette, a battery-powered tube that turns a nicotine-laced liquid into a vapor mist.

If you decide to go with one or more medications, be sure to research these products, see what they offer and pay attention to side effects. E-cigarettes (many are made overseas) are gaining in popularity but the FDA is fighting to regulate them as drug-delivery devices. Once you're comfortable with one or more of these products, they then become part of your plan.

Let family, friends and co-workers know of your efforts to kick the habit and ask for their support. Work your plan and you will be able to stop smoking!

Strategy #2 For Quitting Smoking - "Cold Turkey"

Quitting smoking "cold turkey" is tough. Tough enough so that only about one in 20 that try it are successful. Here's what it takes to be successful...

a deep-down committment that just tells a person enough-is-enough. My deep-down committment came when I could no longer catch my breath after climbing a flight of stairs. You know, that deep satisfying breath your body craves? I went from three packs a day to no packs "right now" and never had the desire for another one again.

Are you there yet? Is your desire to quit so strong that you will let nothing stand in your way? If so, then the "message" is already sinking into your concious and sub-conscious mind. Start thinking and acting like a non-smoker. It almost guarantees you will be successful.

Now you know the secret to being able to successfully stop smoking "cold turkey".

Can you believe this picture is of a smoker's lung (courtesy of CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr.)? The caption states "Gross pathology of lung showing centrilobular emphysema characteristic of smoking."

But aren't lungs supposed to be pink? Yes, if you don't smoke or have quit for several years. But if you continue to smoke, your lungs could get like this. By the way, those dark spots are heavy black carbon deposits.

Stop Smoking Summary

Believe in yourself. Believe you have the power to succeed. And you will succeed.

Disclaimer:I have made every reasonable effort to produce an informative and helpful article on how to Stop Smoking based on my research and experiences. However, I make no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to its completeness, accuracy or suitability for any specific situation or purpose. See our Warranty Policy for more info.

Note: This site receives compensation for referred sales of some or all mentioned products.

Copyright © 2006-2012 Gold Key Select - Stop Smoking